Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusBucephala (Goldeneyes and Bufflehead)
- SpeciesBucephala clangula (Common Goldeneye)
The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Its closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek boukephalos ("bullheaded", from bous, "bull" and kephale, "head"), a reference to the bulbous head shape of the bufflehead. The species name is derived from the Latin clangere ("to resound"). Common goldeneyes are aggressive and territorial ducks, and have elaborate courtship displays. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Death Valley National Park
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Redhead
Aythya americana
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Goldeneye in Death Valley National Park?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Goldeneye in Death Valley National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Common Goldeneye in Death Valley National Park in our monthly data.